Discrepancies between Sexual Desire and Sexual Activity: Gender Differences and Associations with Relationship Satisfaction

Pornography use is now considered a normative sexual activity, including for partnered individuals. Although there are documented positive and negative effects of pornography use on romantic relationships, studies to date suffer from key limitations, narrowing their clinical relevance. Most rely on vague recall measurement that may inadequately capture actual pornography use, and all are exclusively based on mixed-sex couples. This study used a 35-day dyadic daily diary design to examine the associations between an individual’s daily pornography use and their own and their partner’s relationship satisfaction, partnered sexual desire, and probability of partnered sexual activity in mixed-sex and same-sex couples ( N = 217 couples). For women, regardless of partner’s sex, using pornography was associated with their own and their partner’s higher sexual desire and with higher odds of partnered sexual activity. For men, regardless of partner’s sex, using pornography was associated with their partner’s lower sexual desire; for men coupled with women, with lower odds of partnered sexual activity, and for men coupled with men, with higher odds of partnered sexual activity. For all participants, pornography use was unrelated to relationship satisfaction. The current study demonstrated that an individual’s pornography use is associated with same-day couple’s sexual dynamics, with different associations according to users’ and their partners’ sex.

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Spillover and Crossover Effects of Work-Family Conflict among Married and Cohabiting Couples

Society and Mental Health ◽

10.1177/2156869318813006 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 35-60 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Deniz Yucel ◽

Beth A. Latshaw

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Job Satisfaction ◽

Gender Differences ◽

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Family Conflict ◽

Married Couples ◽

Work Family Conflict ◽

Crossover Effects ◽

Cohabiting Couples ◽

Work Family

The present study uses Wave 8 of the German Family Panel to test the spillover and crossover effects of work-family conflict on job satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and mental health for individuals (actor effects) as well as their spouses/partners (partner effects) in dual-earning couples. We further contribute by assessing whether the results vary by gender and union type. Results suggest that among married couples, for job satisfaction, there are no gender differences in actor effects (but gender differences in partner effects), and actor and partner effects remain distinct. For relationship satisfaction, there are no gender differences in actor or partner effects, but both effects remain distinct. For mental health, however, there are gender differences in actor effects (but not in partner effects), and both effects remain distinct. Among cohabitors, there are no differences in actor effects by gender, and adding in partner effects does not significantly improve the models predicting all three outcomes. Some results also suggest differences in relationship dynamics between married and cohabiting couples.

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Misperceptions of Friendly Behavior as Sexual Interest: A Survey of Naturally Occurring Incidents

Psychology of Women Quarterly ◽

10.1111/j.1471-6402.1987.tb00782.x ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 173-194 ◽

Cited By ~ 167

Author(s):

Antonia Abbey

Keyword(s):

Gender Differences ◽

Gender Difference ◽

Sexual Activity ◽

Sexual Interest ◽

Large Percentage ◽

Future Research ◽

Naturally Occurring ◽

Retrospective Reports ◽

Sexual Intent ◽

The Individual

The studies described in this article examine retrospective reports of naturally occurring misperceptions of friendliness as sexual interest. Previous research has demonstrated that men perceive other people and situations more sexually than women do. The purpose of this research was to examine how this gender difference in perceptions of sexuality is exhibited in actual interactions between women and men. Two surveys of undergraduates were conducted. The results indicated that a large percentage of both women and men had experienced such misperceptions, although more women had than men. Most of these incidents were quickly resolved without problems; however, others involved some degree of forced sexual activity and left the individual feeling angry, humiliated, and depressed. Gender differences in the characteristics of these incidents and reactions to them are described. The implications of these findings for future research on gender differences in perceptions of sexual intent are discussed.

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Responses to sexual advances and satisfaction in romantic relationships: Is yes good and no bad?

10.31234/osf.io/p9nc8 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kiersten Dobson ◽

Jenney Zhu ◽

Rhonda Nicole Balzarini ◽

Lorne Campbell

Keyword(s):

Romantic Relationships ◽

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Sexual Activity ◽

Sexual Satisfaction ◽

Daily Diary ◽

Sexual Advance

We examine the relations between accepting and rejecting a partner’s sexual advances with sexual and relationship satisfaction, and assess how long these effects endure. Couples (N =115) completed a 21-day daily diary indicating whether a partner made a sexual advance each day, and if so, whether the advance was accepted or rejected. Having one’s sexual advance accepted was associated with increased sexual and relationship satisfaction that day, and increased sexual satisfaction up to 24 hours later. Having one’s sexual advance rejected was associated with decreased sexual satisfaction that day and up to 48 hours later. Sexual advances made by one’s partner were associated with increased sexual satisfaction that day and for up to 72 hours later, regardless of whether the advance was accepted or rejected. Findings indicate benefits of sexual activity, but also prolonged post-rejection decreases in sexual satisfaction.

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Sex life during pregnancy

Slovenian Nursing Review ◽

10.14528/snr.2019.53.4.2964 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 53 (4) ◽

pp. 280-287

Author(s):

Tamara Košec ◽

Anita Jug Došler ◽

Mateja Kusterle ◽

Ana Polona Mivšek

Keyword(s):

Data Analysis ◽

Pregnant Woman ◽

Sexual Activity ◽

Sexual Intercourse ◽

Sexual Desire ◽

Quantitative Research ◽

Common Factors ◽

Physiological Changes ◽

Mean Values ◽

Purposive Sample

Introduction: Pregnancy involves emotional and physiological changes, which affect the pregnant woman, her partner and their relationship. The sexuality of the couple changes with the onset of pregnancy compared to pre-pregnancy. The aim of the study was to investigate changes in the sex life of women during pregnancy.Methods: Quantitative research based on a questionnaire was carried out in August 2016 on a purposive sample of 685 women who had given birth at least once and women who were in the last trimester of pregnancy when completing the questionnaire. The data analysis included frequencies, percentages, mean values and independent samples t-test calculations.Results: The frequency of sexual intercourse decreased compared to the preconception period. The majority of women (43 %) included in the survey stated that their sexual desire declined during pregnancy. The most common factors that hindered women's sexual activity were fatigue and the feeling of awkwardness.Discussion and conclusion: Psychophysical changes in a pregnant woman may affect the couple's sexuality to a greater or lesser extent, which may in turn affect their relationship. It is therefore crucial that couples be offered quality counseling on sex life by appropriate institutions and programmes.

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Inhibited / diminished sexual desire and loss of orgasm in women

International Journal of Advanced Studies in Sexology - July - December 2020 ◽

10.46388/ijass.2021.13.42 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Ioana Motogna

Keyword(s):

Sexual Activity ◽

Sexual Desire ◽

Sexual Interest ◽

Desire Disorder

In the specialized literature, sexual desire disorder is approached as a decrease in sexual interest, a lack of fantasies about sexual activity, decreased libido or frigidity. Gutceit believes that “out of 10 women 4 do not feel anything during intercourse and endure it without having the slightest pleasant sensation during friction and without having any idea about the pleasure of ejaculation”, and Debruner even adds that 50% of women are insensitive and one cannot speak of a proper libido.

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Sexuality, philosophy of

Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy ◽

10.4324/9780415249126-l094-1 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Alan Soble

Keyword(s):

Sexual Activity ◽

Sexual Desire ◽

Casual Sex ◽

Sexual Pleasure ◽

Sexual Practices ◽

Body Parts ◽

Physical Force ◽

Political Issues ◽

Kantian Deontology ◽

Group Sex

The philosophy of sexuality, like the philosophy of science, art or law, is the study of the concepts and propositions surrounding its central protagonist, in this case ‘sex’. Its practitioners focus on conceptual, metaphysical and normative questions. Conceptual philosophy of sex analyses the notions of sexual desire, sexual activity and sexual pleasure. What makes a feeling a sexual sensation? Manipulation of and feelings in the genitals are not necessary, since other body parts yield sexual pleasure. What makes an act sexual? A touch on the arm might be a friendly pat, an assault, or sex; physical properties alone do not distinguish them. What is the conceptual link between sexual pleasure and sexual activity? Neither the intention to produce sexual pleasure nor the actual experience of pleasure seems necessary for an act to be sexual. Other conceptual questions have to do not with what makes an act sexual, but with what makes it the type of sexual act it is. How should ‘rape’ be defined? What the conceptual differences are, if any, between obtaining sex through physical force and obtaining it by offering money is an interesting and important issue. Metaphysical philosophy of sex discusses ontological and epistemological matters: the place of sexuality in human nature; the relationships among sexuality, emotion and cognition; the meaning of sexuality for the person, the species, the cosmos. What is sex all about, anyway? That sexual desire is a hormone-driven instinct implanted by a god or nature acting in the service of the species, and that it has a profound spiritual dimension, are two – not necessarily incompatible – views. Perhaps the significance of sexuality is little different from that of eating, breathing and defecating; maybe, or in addition, sexuality is partially constitutive of moral personality. Normative philosophy of sex explores the perennial questions of sexual ethics. In what circumstances is it morally permissible to engage in sexual activity or experience sexual pleasure? With whom? For what purpose? With which body parts? For how long? The historically central answers come from Thomist natural law, Kantian deontology, and utilitarianism. Normative philosophy of sex also addresses legal, social and political issues. Should society steer people in the direction of heterosexuality, marriage, family? May the law regulate sexual conduct by prohibiting prostitution or homosexuality? Normative philosophy of sex includes nonethical value questions as well. What is good sex? What is its contribution to the good life? The breadth of the philosophy of sex is shown by the variety of topics it investigates: abortion, contraception, acquaintance rape, pornography, sexual harassment, and objectification, to name a few. The philosophy of sex begins with a picture of a privileged pattern of relationship, in which two adult heterosexuals love each other, are faithful to each other within a formal marriage, and look forward to procreation and family. Philosophy of sex, as the Socratic scrutiny of our sexual practices, beliefs and concepts, challenges this privileged pattern by exploring the virtues, and not only the vices, of adultery, prostitution, homosexuality, group sex, bestiality, masturbation, sadomasochism, incest, paedophilia and casual sex with anonymous strangers. Doing so provides the same illumination about sex that is provided when the philosophies of science, art and law probe the privileged pictures of their own domains.

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Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction: The Role of Perceived (Non)problematic Sexual Desire Discrepancy in Gay and Heterosexual Men

Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy ◽

10.1080/0092623x.2018.1488323 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 45 (2) ◽

pp. 103-113

Author(s):

Tiago José Pereira ◽

Paulo P. P. Machado ◽

Maria Manuela Peixoto

Keyword(s):

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Sexual Desire ◽

Heterosexual Men ◽

Sexual Desire Discrepancy

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Testosterone Treatment and Sexual Function in Older Men With Low Testosterone Levels

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism ◽

10.1210/jc.2016-1645 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 101 (8) ◽

pp. 3096-3104 ◽

Cited By ~ 57

Author(s):

Glenn R. Cunningham ◽

Alisa J. Stephens-Shields ◽

Raymond C. Rosen ◽

Christina Wang ◽

Shalender Bhasin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Function ◽

Sexual Activity ◽

Sexual Desire ◽

Erectile Function ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Older Men ◽

Threshold Effect ◽

The United States ◽

Baseline Characteristics ◽

Estradiol Levels

Context: The Testosterone Trials are a coordinated set of seven trials to determine the efficacy of T in symptomatic men ≥65 years old with unequivocally low T levels. Initial results of the Sexual Function Trial showed that T improved sexual activity, sexual desire, and erectile function. Objective: To assess the responsiveness of specific sexual activities to T treatment; to relate hormone changes to changes in sexual function; and to determine predictive baseline characteristics and T threshold for sexual outcomes. Design: A placebo-controlled trial. Setting: Twelve academic medical centers in the United States. Participants: A total of 470 men ≥65 years of age with low libido, average T <275 ng/dL, and a partner willing to have sexual intercourse at least twice a month. Methods: Men were assigned to take T gel or placebo for 1 year. Sexual function was assessed by three questionnaires every 3 months: the Psychosexual Daily Questionnaire, the Derogatis Interview for Sexual Function, and the International Index of Erectile Function. Results: Compared with placebo, T administration significantly improved 10 of 12 measures of sexual activity. Incremental increases in total and free T and estradiol levels were associated with improvements in sexual activity and desire, but not erectile function. No threshold T level was observed for any outcome, and none of the 27 baseline characteristics predicted responsiveness to T. Conclusions: In older men with low libido and low T levels, improvements in sexual desire and activity in response to T treatment were related to the magnitude of increases in T and estradiol levels, but there was no clear evidence of a threshold effect.

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